Submission Guidelines

1. Der Spekter maintains high editorial and journalistic standards. Work should be well-argued, forward-thinking, transparent, accessible, interesting, and original. For journalistic work, objectivity is not expected, but fairness is required and work should be “bulletproof.” 
   1. This, in journalistic work, means reaching out to a person you are reporting on or making a serious accusation against to request their comment. This is not just an “all sides” thing; it helps protect us against legal backlash and gives the accused an opportunity to defend themselves.
2. Writers should fact-check their own work and provide as many backlinks to sources as possible when making references in their work. If quoting an interview the writer conducted, clarify that in the article; i.e., “X said in an interview with Der Spekter” or “X wrote in an email to Der Spekter.”
3. Der Spekter uses AP style for basic punctuation, grammar, and style, supplemented by social justice-informed style guides, including the Disability Language Style Guide for issues around disability as well as the Diversity Style Guide, a searchable style guide that contains more than 700 terms related to race/ethnicity, disability, immigration, sexuality and gender identity, drugs and alcohol, and geography.
4. Der Spekter uses “antisemitism,” not “anti-Semitism” or other phrasings. Antisemitism is defined according to the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.
5. All images must have alt text.

If you have any questions, email the editorial board at spekter@derbund.org